Book Review of The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
They say a tiger that eats too many people can transform into a human and walk among us…
With Netflix airing the screen adaptation of Yangsze Choo’s debut bestseller, “The Ghost Bride,” I felt compelled to read her latest novel, “The Night Tiger.” This book is a rich, magical journey set in 1930s Malaya (now Malaysia).
If you enjoy stories featuring independent young women, folklore, myths, the supernatural, forbidden love, exotic locations, and historical settings, then this book is for you.
The Mysterious Missing Finger
The story begins with 11-year-old Ren, who is on a quest to find a missing finger belonging to his recently deceased master. Ren has 49 days to complete his mission, aligning with the traditional period for a soul to find peace. If he fails, his master’s soul, who might have been a weretiger, will never rest.
Ji Lin, on the other hand, lives a double life as a dancehall girl named Louise. By day, she’s an unpaid seamstress-in-training, barred from further education by her controlling and abusive stepfather. Her mother’s gambling debts force Ji Lin into this secretive job, which she hides from her stepfather to avoid his wrath. She lies to her mother, claiming she’s making money by selling dresses.
Ji Lin desires more from life, particularly an education, something her stepbrother Shin has managed to attain. Shin, who was once her closest friend and confidant, has left for medical training in Singapore, leaving her behind. She feels both love and jealousy towards him because he’s pursuing the dreams she holds dear.
During a dance with a customer, Ji Lin finds a shriveled finger that had fallen to the floor. This discovery sets off a chain of events that intertwine her fate with Ren’s.
When Fingers Meet
Essentially, “The Night Tiger” revolves around Ji Lin and Ren’s need to connect and resolve the mystery of the missing finger. Ren takes a job as a houseboy for William Acton, the doctor who initially amputated the finger. Coincidentally, William Acton is also a surgeon at the hospital where Shin is working for the summer.
Shin returns, much to Ji Lin’s surprise, but the distance between them has grown, causing her grief. Nevertheless, she involves him in her quest to return the finger, turning it into their shared adventure. All the while, she maintains her secret life as a dancer and harbors unsettling feelings towards her stepbrother.
Ji Lin starts to have vivid dreams featuring a boy named Yi, who stands at a station. The names Ji, Yi, Ren, and Shin represent four of the five Confucian virtues. The fifth virtue, symbolized by a fifth person named Li, also ties into the mystery of the missing finger. Yi repeatedly tells Ji Lin in her dreams that these virtues are out of balance, indicating a larger metaphysical issue that needs addressing.
Meanwhile, bodies begin to pile up, tiger prints appear, and Ji Lin’s dreams grow more intense.
A Lush Read
“The Night Tiger” is an enchanting book, one that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. It was so captivating that I read it in one sitting, staying up much too late despite my responsibilities the next day. Yangsze Choo crafts a vivid and compelling world, filled with a subtle, slow-burning, and forbidden love story that’s truly captivating.
In summary, I highly recommend reading this book. You can find it on Amazon and IndieBound.
What did you think of “The Night Tiger”? Have you read it, or is it on your reading list? Share your thoughts in the comments!
